Business Administration: Transport and Supply Chain Management

How do you manage product flows in fast-moving industries such as food or fashion? How does government transport policy impact the environment?

The Transport & Supply Chain Management Master’s programme offers a unique combination of transport policy and global supply chain management insights and tools. On the one hand, you’ll work at micro-level (i.e., the level of an individual company) – for example, in understanding and tackling the complexities of managing global supply chains and transportation networks, and learning about supply chain strategy development. On the other hand, you’ll work at macro-level – for example, when investigating the impact of government regulations or transport policies on the environment. What’s more, you’ll get to grips with the data analysis tools commonly used in the industry (such as Excel and R) so that you’re ready to hit the ground running when you start your first job. And that won’t take long – because most graduates already have job offers before they’ve even finished the programme.

This specialization of the Master's programme Business Administration is expected to be accredited as Master’s programme Transport and Supply Chain Management as of 1 September 2019.

The Master’s programme is made up of a combination of transport economics and supply chain management courses that together will give you the tools and techniques to analyse any transport and supply chain related problem a business may face in your future career. In addition to these courses you’ll learn to apply research methodologies to support data-driven decision making, write your Master’s thesis on a current topic defined in collaboration with industry or government, and prepare for the world of work.

To break it down:

You’ll take five mandatory core courses. These include:

Supply Chain Data Analytics – The course will furnish you with the statistical skills that are essential for the remainder of the programme. This helps you land that first job by making you proficient in analysing large sets of data using widely available software packages like Excel and R. You’ll put your skills straight into practice by using data to solve real-life industry problems.

Transport Economics & Management – You’ll take a policy perspective on the issues that companies face, and apply economic theories to these issues, including road congestion, the effect of competition on prices, and so on.

Decision making in supply chains – This course helps you learn how to use and build spreadsheet models to analyse real-life company data, to develop optimisation and simulation models, to report results and to formulate recommendations to improve supply chain performance.

You’ll take three elective courses out of a choice of six – each of which relates to either transport economics or supply chain management.

You’ll also write your Master’s thesis on a current topic and you’ll have the opportunity to take an internship.

You’ll not only master state-of-the-art concepts and academic theories – you’ll truly learn to apply them in practice. The programme furnishes you with a backpack of tools and techniques that make you very valuable to future employers.

Courses include guest lectures from industry professionals, as well as projects and case studies based on actual company data.

There are plenty of transport, supply chain and logistics companies in the Amsterdam area – including Schiphol airport, nearby ports, pharmaceuticals firms and fast-moving consumer goods companies that are looking for highly skilled transport and supply chain graduates.

Both students and staff are a good mix of Dutch and international, meaning a mutually beneficial exposure to other cultures and education systems.

80% of students finish the programme in one year; the remaining 20% extend their Master’s studies with a company internship.

90% of graduates are offered a job before they’ve even completed the programme.

You have strong analytical skills; you’re intrigued by the complexities of operations and supply chain processes in a variety of industries; and you believe in data-driven decision making. You already have a working knowledge of basic data software such as Excel and R, STATA or SPSS. In addition:

You have a Bachelor’s degree that includes courses in operations management, operations research or supply chain management, and in transport economics.

Does this sound like you? Then come along to our Master’s Events where you can find out more and try out the programme for yourself! If you’re keen to apply and meet the entry requirements (see below), then take a look at our application procedure and deadlines.

What skills make you interesting to potential future employers?
Companies are actively seeking graduates who can contribute to the development of innovative production and distribution strategies in an analytical and data-driven way.

Companies seek recent graduates who can effectively analyse large data sets and suggest practical improvements based on this analysis, using software like Excel and data analysis environment R. This is an excellent way to get that head-start on your first job.

What kinds of jobs are available to you?
A Master’s in Transport & Supply Chain Management will prepare you to become an operations and supply chain professional in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, wholesale and retail. Alternatively, on the transport policy side, you could be involved in assessments of pricing policies in airlines or railway companies, or assessments of infrastructure projects in cities, ports and airports.

What have alumni of the programme gone on to do?
Most alumni work in supply chain positions at major brand manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers, such as Tata Steel, Nespresso, Unilever, Heineken, Nike or Adidas. Some work for consultancy firms or software houses, such as Deloitte or Slimstock; others work in transport companies, such as NS or Schiphol or KLM; and a smaller percentage work in government policy positions.

How does the programme help prepare students for the job market?
During the programme, you’ll have plenty of contact with the business world, including working on practical problems and getting the opportunity to do an internship.

About the master's programme

1 April for international degree holders from non-EU/EEA countries (different deadlines may hold for other category students);
1 June for Dutch degree holders and international degree holders from EU/EEA countries

START DATE

1 September

STUDY TYPE

Full-time

SPECIALIZATIONS

This specialization of the Master's programme Business Administration is expected to be accredited as Master’s programme Transport and Supply Chain Management as of 1 September 2019.

Sharina Estrada

Master’s graduate, entrepreneur and owner of TryOnline BV

"Each division has a vital role to play in a company. Where would we be without ICT and finance, for example? But if you are not able to deliver goods or services on time, then it is virtually impossible to operate or even survive in the world of business. Every company needs a firm focus on Transportation and Supply Chain Management."

Admission with a Dutch degree

We welcome ambitious students that possess at least an accredited Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, including sufficient training in supply chain / operations management / operations research and in economics. Experience in using Excel and R is highly recommended. The study programme is demanding and interactive. We therefore aim for high quality and strongly motivated students to guarantee study success and maximize learning outcomes of business games, case studies and company projects.

Admission requirements
With a Bachelor's degree in (International) Business Administration, Economics or Econometrics and Operations Research from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam you are admissible provided you successfully meet the requirements in this document.

Students are expected to have:

A fascination for analysing and solving real-life supply chain challenges

a formal transcript of your bachelor grades. Your transcript must include an average score (GPA).

A motivation letter in which you explain why you want to pursue the Master programme in TSCM at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam . In your motivation letter you also need to include a 1 page summary of your bachelor thesis or a proposal for a bachelor thesis highlighting the research problem/question, the (intended) methodology and why that fits the research problem/question, as well as (intended) outcomes/results.

A recent resume.

Please note: we can only process your application when your choice of specialization is clear and you uploaded all documents.
Step 3:
You will be invited for a mandatory (video) interview.

Services for international (IBA) students / Residence permit:
If you are planning to continue your studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam after your IBA, please contact the Central Admission’s Support Team of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam for further information and specific questions about the offered services for international students like extending your residence permit. You will need to apply for extension of your residence permit if you continue your studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

We welcome ambitious students that possess at least an accredited Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, including sufficient training in supply chain / operations management / operations research and in economics. Experience in using Excel and R is highly recommended. The study programme is demanding and interactive. We therefore aim for high quality and strongly motivated students to guarantee study success and maximize learning outcomes of business games, case studies and company projects.

Admission requirements
The specialization Transport Supply Chain Management is open to students with a university Bachelor's degree that provides a thorough knowledge of supply chain / operations management / operations research and economics.
Students are expected to have:

You need to have successfully completed courses and studied literature related to the core of this programme, summarized below:

1. To get up to speed with Supply Chain Management we expect students to be at least familiar with the contents of chapters 1-4 and 11/12/14 of the book "Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning, and Operation” by authors S. Chopra and P. Meindl; Global edition (latest edition). Pearson Higher Education.
2. For Transport Economics a good preparation source is "Applied Transport Economics: policy, management and decision making” by Stuart Cole (latest edition, Kogan Page).
3. We use R for data analysis and statistics. Familiarize yourself with the basic syntax and data input/output of this software before the start of our programme (e.g. via Youtube).
4. Make sure your MS Excel skills are at an advanced level.

Approval depends on specific backgrounds and the extent to which you are familiar with the topics mentioned under ‘admission requirements’.

Application procedure
To enroll in the programme submit your enrolment application via Studielink. Please note: in Studielink you can apply for the Master in Business Administration and in VUnet you can select the specialization Transport and Supply Chain Management (TSCM).

Step 1:
Apply for the programme MSc Business Administration via Studielink. You can register for the specialization Transport and Supply Chain Management in VUnet (see step 2)

Step 2:
After application in studielink you will receive a VUnet-ID and password. Please complete your application in VUnet by answering additional questions, affirming your choice for the specialization Transport and Supply Chain Management and uploading the following documents:

• a formal transcript of your bachelor grades. Your transcript must include an average score (GPA).
• A motivation letter in which you explain why you want to pursue the Master programme in TSCM at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam . In your motivation letter you also need to include a 1 page summary of your bachelor thesis or a proposal for a bachelor thesis highlighting the research problem/question, the (intended) methodology and why that fits the research problem/question, as well as (intended) outcomes/results.
• A recent resume.

Please note: we can only process your application when your choice of specialization is clear and you uploaded all documents.

Step 3:
You will be invited for a mandatory (video) interview.

Step 4:
The admission committee will assess if you meet the admission criteria and will inform you about the decision via email.

Admission via premaster programme
If you have an academic bachelor's degree but do not meet the requirements above, you can gain admission after doing the premaster programme.

The premaster programme is a deficiency programme that provides the necessary knowledge and prepares you for this master's programme. It is a 30 EC program that takes place in the second semester, from February through July.

You have a Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) combined score of at least 550 for the parts Verbal and Quantitative. Also note the following:

The score may not be older than two years, counted from the date you start the premaster programme

The Integrated Reasoning and Analytical Writing Assessment score do not count for admission

You can use a Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) score for the parts Verbal and Quantitative to satisfy the GMAT score requirement. To convert your GRE score to its GMAT equivalent, use the GRE Comparison Tool

GMAT and GRE
A GMAT score of at least 550 or an equivalent GRE score is a requirement to participate in the premaster programme. Please fill in the test that 'Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam' may receive your score. The official score will be sent by GMAT to VU. Please note that it may take up to 20 calendar days for the VU to receive your GMAT score, so plan GMAT on time.

The School of Business and Economics (SBE) offers a course in preparation for the GMAT, the GMAT preparation course. The preparation course starts each year in August. For more information, please visit the website of the GMAT preparation course.

Costs
Tuition fee 2018-2019: EUR 1030.00

Deadlines and application
The programme starts 1 February, and you must have completed your application before this date! Note that the Premasterassessment does not apply in this case!

You will gain direct admission after completing the premaster programme; this is a full-time programme with courses on at least three days per week.

Premaster programme
The premaster programme is a deficiency programme that provides the necessary knowledge and prepares you for this master's programme. It is a 30 EC program that takes place in the second semester, from February through July. These courses involve both content as well as academic skills and knowledge, and research methods.

Admission requirements
The premaster programme has two admission requirements:

You have an hbo degree

You have a Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) combined score of at least 550 for the parts Verbal and Quantitative. Also note the following:

The score may not be older than 2 years, counted from the date you start with the premaster

The Integrated Reasoning and Analytical Writing Assessment score do not count for admission

You can use a Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) score for the parts Verbal and Quantitative to satisfy the GMAT score requirement. To convert your GRE score to its GMAT equivalent, use the GRE Comparison Tool!

GMAT and GRE
A GMAT score of at least 550 or an equivalent GRE score is a requirement to participate in the premaster programme. Please fill in the test that 'Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam' may receive your score. The official score will be sent by GMAT to VU. Please note that it may take up to 20 calendar days for the VU to receive your GMAT score, so plan GMAT on time.

The School of Business and Economics (SBE) offers a course in preparation for the GMAT, the GMAT preparation course. The preparation course starts each year in August. For more information, please visit the website of the GMAT preparation course.

Costs
Tuition fee 2018-2019: EUR 1030.00

Deadlines and application
The programme starts 1 February, and you must have completed your application before this date!

Admission with an international degree

We welcome ambitious students that possess at least an accredited Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, including sufficient training in supply chain / operations management / operations research and in economics. Experience in using Excel and R is recommended. The study programme is demanding and interactive. We therefore aim for high quality and strongly motivated students to guarantee study success and maximize learning outcomes of business games, case studies and company projects.

Admission requirements
In order to gain admission to our Master’s programme, you need to have at least a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited research university including at least three full years of academic study amounting to a minimum of 180 EC or equivalent. We do not require a GRE or GMAT test score. Students are expected to have:

A fascination for analysing and solving real-life supply chain challenges

Solid background in Operations/Supply Chain Management and Economics

Proven empirical and analytical skills

Experience in using R and Excel

You need to have successfully completed courses and studied literature related to the core of this programme, summarized below:

To get up to speed with Supply Chain Management we expect students to be at least familiar with the contents of chapters 1-4 and 11/12/14 of the book "Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning, and Operation” by authors S. Chopra and P. Meindl; Global edition (latest edition). Pearson Higher Education.

We use R for data analysis and statistics. Familiarize yourself with the basic syntax and data input/output of this software before the start of our programme (e.g. via Youtube).

Make sure your MS Excel skills are at an advanced level.

Please note
for students from mainland China: only students from project 2.11 universities are eligible to apply for TSCM.

English language proficiency
The admission board wants to stress the intensity of the programme: reading scientific articles and writing papers will be a key part, all in a very high pace. Your English language skills, both oral and written, are extremely important in this programme. As you will have to communicate frequently with your fellow students and you will be working with and for international companies.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam requires all applicants to take an English test. You can already apply online without having the test results. We do advise you to plan a test date as soon as possible. Below you will find the minimum English test scores for the programme:

If you have read the admission requirements and feel you are eligible for admission, please take the following steps to submit your application. Note that the initial application procedure is fully online and that scans of your relevant documents are required. You can already apply online without having completed your Bachelor’s degree. After admission, you will have until 31 August to send a proof of graduation by postal mail.

Step 1: Prepare documents and apply online
Please prepare the following documents and arrange the payment of the non-refundable €100 application fee. You can find a more detailed explanation of each document on the
application page.
All documents should be provided in English, and preferably in .PDF format.

Copy of your valid passport or ID (only for EU citizens)

Curriculum Vitae

Motivation letter

Transcript of records

A description of the relevant courses you have taken during your previous higher education, with the main literature used for those course. You can use this format.

Thesis (or another sample of academic writing). If your thesis was not written in English, please submit the original with an added summary of about 3 pages in English.

After having prepared the required documents, please follow the online application procedure. After you have completed the application, our international student advisors will contact you via e-mail. Please refer to the application page to see which application deadline applies to you.

Step 2: Await decision on admission
After submitting your complete application, the Admission Board will review all your documents to assess your eligibility. In general, we can inform students of the admission decision within 4 weeks. Around deadlines, this can take a bit linger, so we always recommend to apply as soon as possible. If you are admitted, you will receive your letter of conditional admission by email. After that, you can start planning your move to Amsterdam!

Step 3: Finalize your enrolment and move to Amsterdam!
Make sure to finalize your enrolment as a student before the start of the programme. Here on our website, you will find an explanation of
all things to arrange after admission.
When all enrolment requirements have been met you will be ready to start your programme at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam!

All international students are required to apply for the MSc programme of their choice first. If you do not meet the admission requirements directly, you could gain admission after completing the premaster programme.

The premaster programme is a deficiency programme that provides the necessary knowledge and skills to prepare you for this master's programme. It is a programme of 30 ECTS that is offered in the second semester, from February through July. Content details of the offered premasters can be found here.

Admission requirements for the premaster programme

You have a bachelor's degree from a non-Dutch university or from a non-Dutch university of applied science.

You have a Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) combined score of at least 550 for the parts Verbal and Quantitative. Also note the following:

The score may not be older than two years, counted from 1 February

The Integrated Reasoning and Analytical Writing Assessment scores do not count for admission

You can use a Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) score for the parts Verbal and Quantitative to satisfy the GMAT score requirement. To convert your GRE score to its GMAT equivalent, use the GRE Comparison Tool

You can demonstrate sufficient English proficiency by meeting the requirements listed above

Deadlines and application
The programme starts 1 February. Because of visa application deadlines, non-EU citizens must have completed their application before 1 November. EU citizens can complete their application until January 31st.

Note: When applying, you can find the premaster programme in Studielink after selecting "Type of study programme: Bachelor's or other non-master programmes".

Our international student ambassadors are happy to tell you all about their experiences with studying at VU and living in Amsterdam. Our student ambassadors come from all over the world and are currently attending various bachelor's and master's programmes.

International students can apply to several scholarships. For all VU scholarships, please see www.vu.nl/scholarships. Any available external grant or scholarship can be found through www.grantfinder.nl.

Central International Office
For detailed questions about the Master’s programmes or the application procedure, please contact one of your International Student Advisors at the International Office:
masters.sbe@vu.nl

Leanne Schrijver
Tel +31 20 59 83032

Paul Steeman
Tel +31 20 59 88739

Amu Shrestha
Tel +31 20 59 84296

Lotte de Winter
Tel +31 20 59 89072

For general information about VU Amsterdam:
Please phone us at +31 (0)20 598 5000 (Monday – Friday, 09:00 to 17:00).
You may also e-mail us at study@vu.nl.

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